Share this post?

1. Boom: job growth beats expectations.

The economy added 312,000 jobs in December.

That’s almost double what was expected, according to a hot-off-the-presses jobs report.

U.S. employers dramatically stepped up their hiring in an encouraging display of strength for an economy in the midst of a trade war, slowing global growth and a partial shutdown of the federal government.

The Labor Department said Friday that the unemployment rate rose slightly to 3.9 percent, but that reflected a surge in jobseekers— a positive for growth.

Average hourly pay improved 3.2 percent from a year ago.

The health care, food services, construction and manufacturing sectors were the primary contributors to last month’s hiring.

The strong job gains suggest that the struggling stock market has yet to depress expectations that the economy will expand for a 10th straight year.

The jolt in hiring offers a dose of reassurance after a tumultuous few months..

2. Airbus expanding.

Alabama’s aerospace industry got a boost Thursday as Airbus announced it would be expanding to build additional aircraft.

Airbus says it will build a new manufacturing facility at its Brookley campus in Mobile to fulfill orders for 120 new passenger aircraft from JetBlue Airways and the startup airline Moxy. Construction will begin later this month.

JetBlue and Moxy each ordered 60 of the A220-300 aircraft manufactured by Airbus.